Factors Determining the Greater Participation of Women in Local Government Presidential Elections in Poland

Abstract

The issue of women’s representation in the bodies of executive power in Polish local government is generating increasing interest in the context of women’s activity in local politics. The purpose of the publication is to explain the reasons affecting the low representation of women in local presidential elections. The author answers the question of the low representation of women in mayoral elections and examines whether existing stereotypes about the role of women in society are the main barrier affecting the decision to run in these local government elections. Are there also other reasons that hinder running for the city’s executive body? With the research questions posed in this way, the author aims not only to initiate a discussion on women’s participation in local government bodies, but also to determine the reasons for their underrepresentation and to identify effective methods of counteracting this phenomenon once the barriers are identified.